Does the method matter on sensitive survey topics?

The effects of utilizing a self-administered questionnaire or a personal interview procedure on the responses of an adolescent sample on their alcohol consumption and related behaviors are examined. The results are generally supportive of previous studies on the relationship between the method of data collection and the distribution of responses with sensitive or non-normative content. Although of significance in a statistical sense, many of the differences are not of sufficient magnitude to be considered significant in a substantive sense.